


the labyrinth that deludes

by sh1phter



Category: Under Night In-Birth (Video Game)
Genre: Canon-Typical Violence, Eventual Romance, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, aka fights that are anime as hell
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-21
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-02-27 23:13:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 14,096
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22833847
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sh1phter/pseuds/sh1phter
Summary: When the Hollow Night falls over the world once again, the discovery of a previously unnoticed threat ends up forcing Hyde to work with the generally disagreeable assassin of the Night Blade.An unlikely partnership slowly forms between the two as they get to know each other, both in and out of the Night; all the while, disorder lurks under the surface of Kanzakai.
Relationships: Hyde Kido/Seth (Under Night In-Birth)
Comments: 15
Kudos: 25





	1. gathers under night

**Author's Note:**

> fic starts following unist arcade mode, mainly taking events from hyde, seth and linne's routes. it's mostly canon compliant up until there; i wanted to explore the idea of continuing the story w/hilda and kuons shenanigans.
> 
> mostly i wanted to write the night blade boyz more tho so fic is gonna b more relationship-centric. hope my writing isnt too sappy for these edgelords lmao

“Linne! Can you hear me? Hey!”

Hyde’s voice cuts through the thick air like a knife, as he makes his way down the street as fast as he can.

Though he’s only been able to sense these things for a few months, he can feel the difference between this Night and all the others. There’s more EXS hanging in the atmosphere than ever before, stifling and uncomfortable as all hell; if he focuses hard enough, he almost feels like he can sense the center of it all, a massive concentration of energy gathering somewhere within Kanzakai, a heavy and pulsing mass, twisting like it’s alive. The sensation makes his skin crawl.

Linne and Wald hadn’t been at home when he got back, and though Hyde figures he probably still doesn’t really know what’s going on with them, he knows he’s definitely not stupid enough to not make the connection between their sudden absence and this strangely powerful Night.

Some shit’s about to go down, and he’s sure as hell not gonna miss it – as much as Linne clearly wants him to.

Or. At least, that’s the plan, but…

“Damnit,” Hyde mumbles, squinting into the distance. He’s been searching for over an hour, circling his house, the nearby playground, the park, and still, he hasn’t found either of them. Linne, he can understand how – she’s tiny and probably doesn’t want to be found, but Wald? Hyde’s almost starting to believe he’s losing his mind.

After all this time, he’s only come across a few stray Voids and In-Births, several of which he’s had to shake off to run away from, not wanting to cause a scene or otherwise draw attention towards himself.

(He knows how important the Insulator is; he isn’t going to just whip it out in what’s essentially just the equivalent of a schoolyard fight.)

At least none of them have pursued him for too long, Hyde thinks, ducking behind a parked truck, out of sight of another wandering In-Birth. He figures he’s lucky, that he hasn’t run into anyone particularly dangerous, though that’s probably going to change soon, the further he wanders into the Night.

All he can hope is that he finds Linne first.

As Hyde makes his way across the otherwise abandoned carpark, he tightens his concentration, trying to sense the source of the energy pooling in Kanzakai; if anything, Linne and Wald are probably both headed in that direction. It’s likely that their paths would cross if he was to follow along the same route.

The hum of EXS in his mind gets louder, fuzzier, resonating with the energy surrounding him. He’s almost about to close his eyes to sink further into the sensation when a sharp flash of EXS that isn’t his spikes up in his consciousness, crackling through that peaceful hum like static, and Hyde spins around in an instant.

The Insulator is in his hands before he knows it.

He brings it up to guard himself, and just in time, too – in the next moment, a pair of short, striking blue blades are swinging down on him, clashing with the Insulator, bearing down on him with so much force his posture nearly breaks on contact. Hyde has to grip the sword with both hands just to stop himself from being pushed over, as the large blades draw sparks along the Insulator’s edge, the resounding echo of screeching steel near deafening in the otherwise quiet night.

Hands shaking with the effort of holding up his guard, Hyde finds he can’t even spare a glance at his attacker – his vision is _blurring_ , hazing over from the sheer amount of EXS resonating from the clash of their weapons. He’s never fought anyone with a weapon that feels like this before; he can swear it’s giving off an aura that feels eerily similar to the Insulator’s.

_Whoever this is, they’re sure as hell not normal. Or at least, their weapons aren’t. I should probably–_

Hyde lets his control over the Insulator slip just a little, and his arm throbs with pain as the Insulator hums louder, gathering his EXS in the blade. He’d anticipated it, but it still hurts when the Insulator explodes with power, forcing his opponent to back away or get hit.

In a flash of what appears to be darkness, his assailant’s overwhelming presence vanishes, seemingly into thin air, and Hyde stumbles forward with a gasp. Shutting his eyes, he forcibly regains control of his body, pushing the incessant hum of the Insulator out of his head, as fast as he can manage.

He knows his attacker is definitely still in the area.

His grip on the hilt tightens, his heart pounding in his chest, adrenaline still pumping through his veins.

_After all that, they wouldn’t just leave all of a sudden. Where…_

High-strung and nervous as he is, the quiet tap of footsteps on pavement - behind him - scares him half to death. He spins on his heel, and catches sight of a dark figure just a ways away from him, crouched and half-hidden in shadow.

The silhouette of two curved blades is plainly visible on their person.

Steeling himself, Hyde levels the Insulator at the figure in front of him and gives them a glare that’s at least four times steadier than he actually feels. He’s terrified, and honestly glad his voice doesn’t crack when he calls out, louder than he really needs to, “Hey, that was dangerous, you asshole. The hell was that for?”

“The Princess’ companion, the Wild Card,” comes a calm, low voice, droning on as if he hasn’t heard a single word Hyde’s said, “and the abominable Insulator. There’s no mistaking it…”

Hyde has to resist the urge to throw his sword at the response that's answered absolutely nothing.

As the figure straightens up, dim moonlight falls over him, and Hyde takes the chance to get a good look at his attacker – dark hair with an odd section of white, cut short and messy, pale skin, gray eyes, dressed in a long coat and wielding that pair of knives – even at this distance, Hyde can feel the faint pulse of EXS radiating off of them.

From what he can see, his assailant doesn’t bear an insignia he recognises, and his collar’s turned up high enough to cover half his face, but Hyde can tell he’s not too happy with him.

(...well, if attacking him out of nowhere, entirely unprompted, hadn’t been a clear enough indication already.)

It’s strange. Hyde doesn’t even have the slightest clue as to who this guy is, but he seems to know who Hyde is just fine, judging from what he’d said.

He squints. The other boy isn’t moving at the moment, just watching him from a distance; but he refuses to let himself be fooled into a sense of security. That guy had literally _teleported_ just moments ago.

Keeping a cautious gaze on the other boy, he calls out, “The Princess, huh? So, you know Linne?”

No reaction, or any indication that he’d even heard Hyde. What an ass.

“You know, you could at least pretend you’re listening to me. Who are you, and why are you so interested in my sword?”

At that, the boy lifts his head slightly. Hyde’s composure falters at the intensity of his cold stare.

“Why bother introducing myself to someone who is about to become a corpse?”

_Oh my god. What does this dude think I did...?_

There’s an unmistakeable severity in his voice, something that sets him apart from the rest of the punks in the Hollow Night who say these things as easily as they breathe.

Still, Hyde doesn’t miss a beat. The words come out of his mouth before he has a chance to think about what he’s really saying.

“If you want me to beat it out of you so badly, trust me, I will. And I’m sure I can be very convincing with this thing. You seem like a smart guy; you know what it is.”

_Shit. Not really what I meant to say, but okay. Can’t go back now._

Raising the Insulator, Hyde points it at him once more. “That get your attention?”

If anything, the other boy looks even more unamused than before.

“You’ve just awoken to your powers as an In-Birth, haven’t you? I don’t know _how_ you’re wielding that,” he says, infuriatingly calm as he walks forward, one slow step at a time, “but, Indulgence weapon or not, you should know your place, newcomer. People like you are the reason assassins like me even exist.”

_An assassin?_

Hyde kind of wants to laugh, but the genuine anxiety in his heart helps him reel it in. The other boy barely looks as old as he is – he’s probably younger, now that Hyde’s thinking about it – and yet, from the look in his eyes, Hyde can tell he’s dead serious about every word that leaves his lips.

God. Really, if only Linne was the type to explain things a little more in depth, maybe he could at least guess who this guy was.

As the other boy approaches slowly, Hyde falls into a guarding stance, and calls out, “I don’t know why you’re looking for Linne, or whether you just want the Insulator like everyone else, but if you’re going to kill me I’d at least like to know your name, and why. I think you already know, but I’m with the Night Blade, and Linne’s never mentioned anyone like you before, so…”

That steely gaze sharpens, just like the edge of his cold blue daggers.

“The Night Blade…? Don’t make me laugh.”

Hyde shudders, as EXS starts to flow in the air once more, practically radiating off of the figure in front of him. Okay. Conversation’s over. He stands his ground, readies himself and holds his defense.

“I know the weight of our sins,” the boy calls out, voice louder and more resolute than it’s been the whole time as he flips the blades in his hands, “and they are far too much for the likes of you to carry!”

_Our sins? So he is part of the Night Blade..._

With that, he vanishes, in a movement like smoke; Hyde doesn’t even bother to follow him with his eyes, he knows he won’t be able to see a damn thing.

He just waits, stance ready, and the moment he feels EXS shooting right at him from the back, in a straight line like a speeding bullet, he whirls around, just in time to catch those blades rushing down towards him again. Steel scrapes on steel; Hyde breathes a quick sigh of relief, he’d guessed right.

Steadying his footing, he prepares to force his attacker away with his sword, but the other boy doesn’t bother holding Hyde in a bind this time. Instead, he pulls his knives back, lightning fast, and starts swinging again, before Hyde can even react, forcing him to block a series of quick, powerful slashes.

_It really doesn’t get any easier,_ Hyde thinks, gritting his teeth as his wrists protest the impact. Each blow feels at least twice as heavy as it looks, the quick flurry of attacks enough to stagger him backwards. His nerves are on edge; he’s barely keeping up with his opponent, and each strike he parries feels like a narrowly missed death sentence. It’s all he can do to just hold this pace and wait, for even the slightest hint of an opening.

The other boy stays completely silent throughout the whole thing, face devoid of any emotion beyond cold fury as his vicious bladework pressures Hyde into a corner. It’s terrifying.

Hyde’s so used to other In-Births taunting him, or trying to be intimidating, spitting curses with every other breath that somehow, fighting someone entirely silent in combat feels far more unsettling than it probably should be.

Two sharp slashes come down one after the other; Hyde blocks both of them and waits - one blade glances off the Insulator, pulling back high, one stays to bind him. His heart pounds in his chest.

The rhythm’s broken. He has a chance.

Moonlight glints off of that blue dagger, pulled back further than before in preparation to strike; Hyde seizes the opportunity to break free, and shuts his eyes, bracing himself.

_Now or never._

Resolutely, he hands full control over to the Insulator.

That split second is all he needs.

A sharp pain fires through his arm, and the Insulator suddenly _blazes with power_ , visible dark energy manifesting around the blade as it channels his EXS, fuelling itself freely with his energy.

The other boy’s eyes widen a fraction, and he disappears once more in a sharp burst of darkness.

Hyde’s right arm – the one wielding the blade – sends him lunging forward at what is now nothing but empty space, and the Insulator sweeps through the air, EXS tracing its path. A jagged trail of red energy explodes from the dirt underneath him, razing the ground across the entire distance he’d covered with his initial dash.

Steadying himself as quickly as he can manage, Hyde turns, almost frantic as he tries to spot his attacker. He can barely hear anything over the rush of blood pounding in his ears, his right arm almost numb from the Insulator’s influence; he knows he’s on a timer now, the seconds he has left to beat his opponent ticking down slowly.

_Where did he go?_

“…Void Red.”

The sound of that monotonous voice coming from above and behind him almost makes Hyde jump. The Insulator reacts before he does, flaring a deep red with his EXS, forcing him to swing, firing a twisting disc of dark energy off in the direction of the noise.

Cold steel flashes, a sharp metallic clash reverberating through the ether as the other boy slashes right through the EXS of Hyde’s projectile with those strange blue daggers – though, that’s all he gets to do. Hyde’s rushing him in the next moment, the edge of the Insulator still burning bright red as he brings it down on his opponent.

Their blades meet again, and as those knives screech and whinge against his sword, Hyde looks up at his opponent and realizes, with an emotion he can’t quite place, that the other boy’s dispassionate look is gone.

His eyes are narrowed, his brows furrowed in what looks like genuine confusion, the first actual emotion he’s shown this entire time that isn’t irritation. Still, his voice remains flat when he opens his mouth to ask, “Why… No, _how_ do you have this ability?”

He sounds almost conversational, despite the way he’s still matching Hyde one for one in combat. It kind of makes Hyde want to punch him.

“I really don’t know what you’re talking about–“

Discord in his mind from all the EXS interference in the air, arm still feeling like it’s on fire, it takes him a moment to process the other boy’s words fully.

_Void Red, he’d said. Is that what he’s referring to?_

_…_

_...What the fuck is that?_

Before he can consider it further, darkness blurs the edges of his vision, a reminder that his body’s reaching its limit.

_Shit. Okay._

Hyde inhales sharply to keep his focus, tightens his grip on the Insulator, and forces himself to action before all his limbs come to a standstill. Sharply, he kicks his leg out in a short sweep, and stays alert for the moment the other boy steps back to dodge – when his guard falters for a split second.

“Get off me!”

He jerks the Insulator upwards, abrupt and forceful, jolting the other boy’s curved daggers out of the way, hard enough to force his grip to loosen. At that, his opponent finally startles for real, and Hyde stabs his sword in the ground and wills all the EXS in his vessel to garner within the blade, a veritable cyclone of energy twisting and building in the Insulator - it rumbles low like an approaching storm, stretching Hyde’s control to its absolute limit, pulling, pulling taut until it snaps, all at once, and–

_“Gyre Vortex!”_

His EXS ability amplified to a terrifying extent through the Indulgence weapon, Hyde’s never felt more like a vessel for the Insulator than he does now, as he channels and expunges the energy practically overflowing from his sword in a veritable explosion of power. A pillar of dark energy erupts from the ground surrounding him, flashes of red crackling throughout its stygian entirety like lightning splitting a thundercloud.

An ebbing darkness hazes over his vision as sudden exhaustion hits him with the force of a train. The Insulator finally relinquishes control of his body, returning to some semblance of normalcy, and he sinks to his knees, Insulator still gripped tight even while his arms and legs slacken.

As he leans heavily on the sword and tries to catch his breath, Hyde crosses his fingers, and hopes the other boy doesn’t appear out of nowhere amidst the dispersing energy. He’s entirely defenseless the way he is now. If she was here, he’s sure Linne would give him a half hour lecture on how careless he’s been.

He’s not even sure he hit his opponent with his attack.

(He actually kind of hopes he didn’t – considering what Linne’s told him about the Insulator, that just its residual damage could be severe. He doesn’t want to break anyone’s vessel if he doesn’t have to.)

When the remaining EXS in the air fades, and the atmosphere becomes clear once more, Hyde’s almost surprised to notice the other boy perched atop a car a little way away from him, crouching, completely stock-still. He looks relatively unscathed, but more shaken than Hyde’s seen him this whole time.

The blades are still gripped firmly in his hands, but he’s not moving an inch, just watching Hyde with widened eyes, put entirely on the defensive now. Shit, Hyde feels tense just looking at him.

A minute passes between them, feeling like an eternity as silence settles over the scene once more, the hum of EXS in the atmosphere of the Night and Hyde’s ragged breathing the only noises in the area.

With a heavy sigh that rattles in his chest, Hyde breaks the tension in the air.

At that, the other boy perks up, raising his blades, but not quite startled into motion yet.

“Okay,” Hyde says, making sure his voice carries over loud and clear, “can you please put the giant knives away now? I just want to talk.”

Gray eyes narrow slightly. “After you showed me something like that? Do you take me for that much of a fool?”

Pressing his forehead against the Insulator’s hilt, Hyde shuts his eyes. God. This is chalking up to be one of the worst nights of his life. He’s _exhausted_ , and talking to this guy is just making it worse. “Sorry, I panicked. But I’m serious. The Insulator takes a lot out of me, I can’t even move right now. If you wanted to kill me, you probably could.”

The scathing response comes immediately.

“You really have no tact, do you? Either that, or you’re not taking me seriously, to be laying all this out in the open.”

Hyde groans.

“I just want to ask you what’s going on. It’s not that deep, I promise you.”

A moment of silence. Hyde cracks one eye open, and glances at the other boy - he’s hasn’t moved from atop the car, but he’s straightened up a little, looking less tense than before. His weapons lower, his lips settling into a thin line.

“…Do you really not know?”

“I mean, Linne wouldn’t tell me–“

The moment the words leave his mouth, Hyde blinks, and remembers - the one thing he’d set out to do in this Night in the first place.

“Oh, _shit_.”

And it’s almost as if it’s on cue, like his life is some sort of bad joke scripted out by a malevolent god or something, because in that exact moment of clarity, a resounding, distant explosion rattles Kanzakai, the EXS thickening the air buzzes sharply, and all of a sudden, it feels like that disgusting, twisting mass of energy writhing beneath the thin veil of the Night has vanished, in an instant.

Pursing his lips, Hyde chances a look at the other boy - he’s gone ramrod straight, brows furrowed like he’s in pain, gaze fixed far away into the horizon. His arms go slack against his sides, his weapons dangling uselessly from his fingertips; he’s definitely upset, or confused about something now.

Hyde’s considering asking him to explain what just happened, but he doesn’t have to; the boy opens his mouth all on his own, and a single, short sentence escapes his lips.

“Paradox is gone.”


	2. hauled in and stopped

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some loose ends from 10 years ago are finally tied up when Linne enters the picture.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> might start to differ a little from canon here, i hope the characters and expansion of the lore are still believable though
> 
> so sorry it's been a while since i updated, thank yall for stickin with me lol

The other boy’s words stun Hyde into silence, momentarily, as his mind goes into overdrive processing what he’s just heard.

_“Paradox is gone.”_

So that overwhelming power he’d felt earlier had been hers? It sort of makes sense, now that he’s thinking about it, but he could’ve sworn she didn’t seem this powerful the last time he met her.

Then again, he reconsiders, that had been out of the Night; his perception had likely been skewed. Maybe? Either that, or something in this Night had been fuelling her power, or vice versa, because the air definitely felt lighter now.

_And I still have no idea where Linne is._

Shoes squeak on reflective paint, the sudden, high-pitched noise derailing Hyde’s train of thought, and he looks up to see the other boy sitting down, cross-legged on top of the car he’d been crouching on. He’s finally disarmed himself, weapons completely out of sight, and he folds his free hands in his lap as he settles down and gives Hyde a look.

His face is decidedly, carefully unreadable, whatever concern or distress he’d clearly shown earlier now buried six feet under a thousand-yard stare.

It takes a moment to register in Hyde’s mind that he’s choosing to stay, completely passive, entirely in contrast to the aggression he’d shown earlier.

_What the hell happened to make him stop like this?_

Hyde chews on his lip for a moment, thinking, and opens his mouth to ask what he’s still doing here.

Instead of that, though, every single thought in his mind comes out of his mouth at once, in a rush of syllables, his already thin filter worn even further down by exhaustion.

“What do you mean, Paradox is gone? Did someone kill her? Is that even possible? How do you even know that?” He finds he can’t stop himself from rambling, even he wants to, “And hold on, you haven’t actually even answered me yet; what the hell’s going on here in the first place?”

The other boy pins him with a glare just this side of disdainful; even disarmed and sitting passively like this, Hyde feels the cold sting of figurative daggers from him.

“Are you always this loud, Insulator boy?”

Hyde’s jaw nearly drops, but he catches himself at the last second, snapping his mouth shut in a firm frown. The nerve of this guy - who even says things like this?

“Are you always this much of an asshole? And can you not call me that? I have a name, you know.”

The other boy blinks owlishly at him.

_His face is actually so infuriating_ , Hyde realizes, in a startling moment of clarity as he watches the boy open his mouth, _and now he’s going to say something stupid, with that same vacant stare on his face and I’m going to have to smack him-_

“You didn’t give me a proper introduction. What else am I supposed to call you?”

A beat.

Desperately, Hyde scans that empty expression for the slightest hint of mirth, sarcasm, anything that says he’s making some kind of joke, or something of the sort at this point - and finds absolutely nothing.

He’s _serious_.

Hyde’s honest-to-god struck speechless for a few seconds. Are you kidding me?

“You tried to kill me. On sight,” he enunciates, slowly, an almost pained look on his face, “I really can’t believe I forgot to give you an introduction. Must have slipped my mind. Sorry, my bad.”

The other boy remains completely silent, sitting as still as a statue, like all the sarcasm in Hyde’s voice has just flown over his head - either that, or he just doesn’t care. Hyde lets out a heavy sigh, and presses his head against the Insulator’s hilt once more.

_Why do I feel like I’m talking to a brick wall?_

“Okay. My name is Hyde Kido, I’m part of the Night Blade.” He looks up, with an expression that’s two parts resigned and one part exasperated. “There. Are you going to tell me who you are now, or are you just gonna sit there all night like a-“

“Seth.”

Hyde raises an eyebrow.

“You can call me Seth.”

_Wow, a name?_

Okay. That’s already further than he expected to get with this guy.

Sitting back on his heels, Hyde mentally crosses his fingers, hoping for more cooperation, and presses further.

“So... Seth. What’s your deal? You know Linne, right? And the fact that I’m working with her, so…”

He trails off, unsure of what exactly he should ask; why he’d tried to kill him, or why he’d stopped all of a sudden, but something catches his eye, and his train of thought derails.

If only for a split second, Hyde swears he sees a strange, deep guilt flit across Seth’s somber visage; the first real emotion beyond irritation he’s seen from him so far, and it seems almost wrong, seeing such a grave expression on an otherwise youthful face. It leaves him a mix of worried and curious, about who this mysterious boy actually is and what he’s gone through.

Then those eyes sharpen once more, and the frigid tone of his voice jolts Hyde back to reality.

“Yes, I was aware of the Princess and her companion, the wielder of the Insulator; I thought I’d already made that much clear. Is that all you wish to know?”

Hyde narrows his eyes, and crosses his arms over his chest. “No. What I want to know is why you were trying to kill me so bad, if we’re on the same damn side.” He takes a moment to pause, gathers his thoughts, and adds, “and why’d you suddenly stop, huh? What’s up with that?”

Seth takes his sudden irritation in stride, that ever-present, infuriating calm grating on Hyde’s nerves.

“I was not going to kill you. I had intended to break your vessel here and retrieve the Insulator for the purpose of destroying Paradox’s EXS. However that no longer matters. Someone has already-“

Abruptly, the other boy stiffens. His eyes dart about the area once, twice, and before Hyde has the time to even wonder what’s got him so on edge out of nowhere, blue steel flashes in his hands, and he disappears, wreathed in a deep gloom.

_Oh, shit._

Hyde’s heart skips a beat. He struggles to his feet, and tries his best to raise the Insulator in defense, but he’s still exhausted, and the blade feels like a dead weight in his hands. It’s all he can do to just keep it manifested; he’s completely screwed if Seth tries to attack him right now.

A second passes, then another.

When the sting of knives at his throat never comes, Hyde lets out a breath. The surrounding air is still, save for the the low hum of EXS in the atmosphere. Nothing seems out of the ordinary, and he doesn’t sense any hostile presence nearby, so okay, maybe Seth _isn’t trying to kill him again_. But then why else had he disappeared like that?

It’s then that it registers in Hyde’s head that maybe, someone else is in the area - someone apparently intimidating enough to spook Seth that badly, and his heart nearly stops as he finally hears the sound of footsteps, right behind him.

A voice rings out through the area; curt, dry and familiar-

“I knew I’d find you here.”

-and all the tension pulling Hyde’s body taut snaps, seeping out of him in a sigh of relief as he sinks back down to the floor. The Insulator vanishes in his hands in a burst of EXS, and he turns his head to face the person he’s been looking for all night.

“Shit, Linne, don’t sneak up on me like that! Where’ve you been?”

She regards him with an unamused look, lips drawn in a thin line, and it’s at that moment that Hyde remembers that he wasn’t supposed to have been out on this Night at all, and he braces himself for another one of her lectures.

But then her eyes flick past him, her gaze shifting to stare into the distant darkness, and what comes out of her mouth instead is something completely unexpected.

“Seth. It’s been a while. You’ve grown, since the last time I saw you.”

Hyde can’t help the surprise that creeps onto his face. _He’s still here? Where?_

For all the training he’s done, he can’t still sense a thing, couldn’t since the second the other boy disappeared, and yet the moment Linne calls out, Hyde’s made dimly aware of a silent, resting presence that’s he’s sure has been there for some time now, just gone unnoticed in his earlier panic.

Linne shifts, and Hyde holds his breath as the edge of her broadsword catches the light, gleaming.

_Hey… What’s she thinking? She isn’t gonna fight him, is she…?_

“So I was right. Kuon’s making his move now, isn’t he?”

The silent air is charged as they wait for Seth’s answer, electric like a livewire of tension; Hyde can’t even tell how many minutes pass by before he even realizes that he’s been holding his breath.

Then a sharp crackle resonates through the atmosphere, and from the shadows, a flickering silhouette becomes corporeal once more - Seth’s standing just a short distance away, curved blades still in his hands.

“I do not answer to him. I came here of my own accord.”

He falls into a combat stance, movements fluid and practiced, poised to lunge. Killing intent hangs heavy in the air around him, but all that Hyde can sense in him is a deep sadness, the same overwhelming guilt he’d caught on his face just moments before, when he’d brought up Linne.

Glancing between them, Hyde draws his lips into a thin, worried line. _What the hell is happening? I feel like I’m missing a memo, here._

“Princess of the Night Blade… Let me fulfil my promise to you.”

_…Well, there it is._

“No. I can’t have you going on about that anymore,” Linne answers, voice ringing loud and clear across the parking lot. “I was a fool to have said a word of it to you. Nobody should have to bear the guilt of killing this child but me.”

She glances down at her own body, and her eyes narrow, not in annoyance but in something like regret, her brows drawing tighter than Hyde’s ever seen them. He feels almost like he’s intruding on something, like he’s finally being made privy to the parts of Linne’s past she’s been carefully filtering out whenever she’s explained anything to him - and he’s not sure whether he likes it or not.

Across from her, Seth stays unmoving, blades still outstretched, but when he opens his mouth again, his voice carries the slightest hint of a waver.

“I’ve… already failed the Night Blade, but I won’t fail you this time. Please.”

The way he speaks distantly reminds Hyde of a lost child.

Metal clunks heavily against pavement when Linne rests her broadsword against the floor, and leans against it with a tired sigh.

“You have nothing to answer for, be it on my behalf or regarding the fall of the Night Blade. None of this is your fault.”

Seth is quiet. He lowers his daggers, slowly.

“…You entrusted me with the chains binding you, didn’t you?”

“That was my mistake. I should never have imposed the responsibility of my curse onto a child.”

The expression on Seth’s face is incomprehensible, his silence loaded, and Hyde feels like he might chew through his own lip if he keeps doing it, so he stops. He’s not sure what to say - if he should even say a thing. It doesn’t seem like his place to speak, but he can’t stand watching this strained, emotionally stilted exchange.

When the boy doesn’t answer, Linne looks up at them, a rueful smile on her face.

“I’m not going to ask you to abandon your duty as a member of the old order of the Night Blade,” she continues, “but I’m telling you now to forget about my curse. Both of you. The burden is mine to bear, and besides...” Her eyes harden, and she crosses her arms with a deep exhale. “We’ve got more pressing matters on our hands now.”

The heavy, weighted silence hanging over them like a blanket seems to lift a little at the change of subject, and Hyde latches on to it, thankful for the reprieve. He’s not sure he would’ve been able to handle any more of that depressing atmosphere.

“Paradox, right?”

Linne makes a noise of assent. “Without the Insulator, I’ve only temporarily broken her vessel; she’s bound to be back soon enough. Even so, I don’t think she’s our biggest threat.”

“The Weaver,” comes Seth’s voice, moments later. It’s the first thing he’s said in a while, and yet his tone stays measured, flat as ever, as if the whole conversation just a minute ago hadn’t occurred.

Or, as if he _can’t_ acknowledge that it’d occured. Hyde takes a moment to feel bad for the guy.

There’s a rustle of fabric, as Seth draws one of his curved daggers. Moonlight gleams along its edge, the EXS within resonating in the not-quite still air of the Hollow Night; Hyde can’t help but be intrigued by the weapon. Up close, the similarities between it and the Insulator are impossible to miss, and yet there’s something different about how this blade feels compared to his, physical appearances notwithstanding. He finds himself wondering what properties the weapon has, if it can destroy EXS like the Insulator, or whether it’s something completely different, and most importantly, why it seems to have a constant physical state.

Cleanly, Seth’s voice cuts through Hyde’s thoughts, and he stops his musing in an instant. _I’ll keep my questions for now, I guess._

“He was the one to give me the Eliminators. I’m sure he expected me to come after the Princess, to cut loose the seal on her vessel, but…” The other boy trails off for a moment. “Of course, all this is just speculation. I can’t even begin to fathom what Kuon has been planning.”

Offering him a nod, Linne brings her hand up to her chin, deep in thought. “In any case, this is just the beginning. If the Nights leading up to this one already showed an increase in the number of Voids showing up, anything could happen after tonight. We should be prepared for the worst. Hyde?”

Hyde blinks. The conversation had gone on so quickly, dropping so many veritable bombshells of relatively new information, he’d been hard pressed to keep up with it in its entirety until he heard the sound of his name. “Yeah?”

“You’re going to need to step up your combat skills. I doubt Kuon’s going to show his face so soon, but when he does, you’re going to be the only one that can take him down because of the way his curse works.”

Her tone is firm, but uncharacteristically apologetic at the same time. “If I could wield the Insulator effectively at all, trust me, I’d cut him down myself. But it’s attuned to your EXS more than I could ever have imagined. You just have to learn how to use it.”

With that, Linne turns to Seth, and immediately, as if he can sense what she’s going to say, the boy bristles.

“ _No_.”

“I’m asking because you’re familiar with all the modern Night Blade training basics. It shouldn’t take you long to teach him, he catches on fast. You fought him already, right? You should know what he’s got to work on.”

Seth’s face scrunches up just a little, in the slightest hint of displeasure. “You mean to say he hasn’t even learnt the basics yet? What have you been teaching him?”

The hint of a petulant frown flashes across Linne’s face for a second, before she reels it in.

“It’s only been a month. I’ve put him through practices.”

“A _month_.”

If it all possible, Seth’s voice sounds even drier than before.

“I’ll be busy gathering information with Waldstein; I won’t be able to teach him myself, Besides, this generation should be shaped by those born in it.” Linne pauses, and looks between the two of them. “As the last two active members of the Night Blade… Try to get along, will you?”

Hyde scratches the back of his head. “I mean, I was already trying.”

He looks over at Seth, who he suspects has got a look on his face like he’s just licked a lemon - he can’t quite tell, with the way the other boy’s collar is pulled up, but he’s got a feeling.

“Fine.”

To his surprise, Seth steps closer to him, and raises his palm, expectantly. “Give me your phone. I’ll give you my number.”

_Shit, you have a phone?_

Hyde bites his tongue just in time. He forks over his phone with a snicker, though.

“I doubt I need to tell you this,” Seth starts, as he carefully taps in his number, “but don’t call me unless it’s necessary. You’ll hear from me once I’ve figured out a plan for your training.”

“Got it.”

Seth returns Hyde his phone, and Hyde checks the contact information. _Seth_ , it says. No last name, though he wasn’t really expecting to see one.

“Kido, Princess.”

With that, Seth offers them both a short bow, and with Hyde’s next breath, he’s gone.

Absently, Hyde gazes into the night sky. It’s starting to clear up, the stifling, inhuman red haze above giving way to softer pink and orange hues of a sunrise as light bleeds across the dark clouds of the Night. Well, he thinks, that’s enough of a cue to start heading home as ever.

Straightening up proper, Hyde stretches, wincing at the ache in his muscles. Yeah, alright, maybe he’d overdone it with that little stunt he’d pulled with the Insulator earlier today. Hopefully, he’d be able to sleep it off.

When he starts off down the sidewalk, though, he doesn’t hear a second pair of footsteps following after him, and a quick glance backwards confirms that Linne hasn’t moved from her spot since.

She’s looking right at the ground, but even with the way her eyes are downcast, Hyde can tell she’s thinking too hard about something awful; the look on her face is guilty, dejected and regretful all at once, an expression far more suited for an old crone’s visage than a young child’s.

(Mentally, Hyde makes a note never to do anything that’ll make her look this way again.)

“Linne?”

Her head snaps right up at the sound of his voice, her eyes briefly widening - Hyde wouldn’t be surprised if he’d startled her right out of her own mind. 

“Come on, let’s go home.”

An expression like shock flashes across her face, just momentarily, before she snaps out of it, and steps down the path after him. They walk in relative silence, until Linne speaks up one more time. Her voice is hushed, sounding almost as exhausted as he feels.

“I know you must have questions. I’m sorry you had to see some of them answered that way.”

Hyde wrings his hands, and rests them at the back of his head.

“Nah. You had your reasons. I won’t probe.” He pauses. “Would be cool if you could tell me, though.”

Her laugh is sardonic, the smile she shows him slanted and almost self-deprecating.

“At this point, I think you deserve to know.”

“Well, take your time. It’s a pretty long walk home from here.”

An open invitation to start talking, casual and unaccusing.

Linne exhales slowly.

“Okay. I’ll start you from about ten years ago. I had a different body, then-

The drone of her’s voice is soon drowned out by early traffic as the morning dawns, and the world finally regains its approximation of normalcy, the secrets of the Hollow Night once more sealed where they should be.

It’s surreal watching streets, almost entirely abandoned mere minutes prior, slowly fill up with cars and people - early risers or office workers, surreal enough that people unfamiliar with the Night would easily be able to forget the things they’ve seen during, passing them off as some sort of hallucination or trick of the eye.

_...A hallucination, huh?_

Just in case, Hyde reaches in his pocket to pull out his phone, opening his contacts list and scrolling, until he finds the one he’s looking for.

_Seth._

The night had been pretty absurd. It’s nice to have some proof that he isn’t going crazy.

Shoving it back into his pocket, he walks a little quicker and catches up with Linne, falling back into step alongside her.

Alright. Seth’s got his number. Now all he has to do now is wait.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> it's been a while since i conceptualized this, i hope it still makes sense sgkjhg


	3. bridge of flowers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With the help of a certain someone, Seth finally gets his first message across to Hyde.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> quick interlude before whats gonna be a bit of a big boy chapter

_Hyde Kido, and the Insulator…_

In the comforting darkness of his room, outlined only by the weak moonlight filtering in through the window, Seth taps his pen against the desk and scowls.

It’s been almost two hours since he started, and he still hasn’t come close to figuring out a solid training plan.

Or more accurately, he admits to himself, he hasn’t even wanted to start.

Sure, he’s fought Kido. He’s seen the boy’s artless bladework with the Insulator, scoffed at the way he lets his weapon control him rather than the other way around, been incensed at how the gaping holes in his offense are so easily filled in by the raw power the Indulgence weapon affords him. He’s infuriated by Hyde’s amateurish efforts, to say the least; his family would never have let him out into the Hollow Night if he’d given them this miserable demonstration of skill.

_And yet._

_And yet, you lost to him,_ the little voice in the back of his head chimes in, sounding awfully similar to the Princess’ voice, and Seth’s glower intensifies, because that’s right. He’s trained his whole life, been steeped in the shadows of the Hollow Night since the day his fingers could grip a blade, and still, this inexperienced, sloppy oaf of an In-Birth swinging a gigantic sword had bested him.

That, out of all of it, is what’s been grinding his gears the most.

_…I did agree to train him, though._

Sighing heavily, Seth shakes his head. Okay. Enough of this. He knows he isn’t going to get anywhere by harping on his unfortunate loss; frustrated as he is, he’ll just end up wasting more time with nothing to show for it, and he’s done more than enough of that for almost a week now.

He puts his pen to paper, thinking focused and deliberate.

_Well… the first thing we’re going to need is an open space. Or an enclosed one._

Mentally scrolling through the miniscule number of contacts he’s got saved on his phone, the list of people he could possibly call in a favor from, Seth inwardly groans when only one particular name comes to mind. He can already feel the headache coming on.

_God. Kido better appreciate this._

—

Hyde tosses a handful of carrots and potatoes into the heated pan and idly watches them sizzle. As he pushes them around in the pan, his gaze shifts over to his phone on the countertop, its screen still mournfully - or, thankfully - dark. He can’t help it; he’s been on edge over his notifications for days.

Not for the first time, he reconsiders his whole agreement with one quiet, estranged member of the Night Blade.

“Linne, are you sure this is a good idea?”

Over the pleasant crackling of the frying pan, Linne’s reply from the living room is a distant, muffled shout.

“ _Hah?_ ”

Hyde makes a face, feeling every bit the part of an exasperated older brother.

“Can you get in here?”

It takes a brief moment, but he hears the pad of tiny footsteps approaching, and Linne appears in the doorway, disgruntled, phone in one hand, the other resting on her hip as she regards him with a raised eyebrow.

“What?”

Instinctively, Hyde stifles a snort. If he hadn’t been as stressed as he was, he’d probably have laughed, and made a joke about how much she looked like the bratty kid he’d once mistaken her for. But the lingering uncertainty that’s been churning his insides for days easily wins out over the urge to mess with Linne, and he pauses to toss some salt into the pan before answering.

“I dunno, I just feel like I’ve made a mistake or something.”

The second the words leave his mouth Hyde finds himself grimacing; _God, it’s like saying it out loud just makes me feel worse about it._ He glances over at Linne; leaning against the counter, fingers tapping against her screen in a little rhythm, she’s listening in relative silence, save for the quiet music playing from her phone’s speakers.

If he didn’t know any better, he would’ve thought she hadn’t been listening, but by now he’s familiar enough with how she prefers to take her time analyzing information; he knows she’s just thinking of how to respond. Besides, it’s not like he needs her to say anything just yet - just knowing that she’s listening is enough of a comfort for now.

Prodding at the now slowly-softening vegetables, Hyde sighs, and lets his mouth run away with his thoughts. “I mean, doesn’t he hate my ass? Not that I know why, either, but I don’t think that one conversation we had would’ve been enough to fix it-“

“You’re overthinking things, Hyde. He agreed to help you, didn’t he?”

At the sound of Linne’s voice, Hyde looks up, and meets her eyes over the top of her screen. She’s got a look on her face that’s a little long-suffering, and yet sympathetic at the same time; he supposes he can understand why. They _have_ been over this.

He glances back down at the pan. “I guess. I still don’t think he’s gonna be too happy about it, though.”

“Well, that sounds like a him problem.”

Her immediate response is so ridiculously petty that it catches Hyde off guard, and he can’t help the sharp laugh that slips out of his mouth. “Oh my god, Linne. Aren’t you supposed to be the mediator here?”

In a rare display of genuine childishness, the ancient, reincarnated Princess of the Night Blade sticks her tongue out at Hyde. “Since when?”

Hyde whistles.

“Touché. Hey, help me watch this?”

As they swap places, Hyde shifting over to the kettle on the counter with a measuring cup in hand, Linne tucking her phone into her pocket as she takes over watching the stovetop, she speaks up again, her voice more sobered than before. “Honestly, though. You’ll be fine. I know him - or, his type, at least. He isn’t as… abrasive as you might think he is.”

Hyde looks up from the measuring cup, eyebrow raised, and Linne makes an expression a little bit like a wince. They both know he’s still got the memory of those frigid steel blades and that pressurizing, crippling EXS fresh in the back of his mind, not to mention how tense the whole… situation afterwards had been even with Linne putting her best foot forward at defusing it.

As much as he wants to believe her words, they don’t exactly check out at the moment - and she knows as much.

“You’ve just got to trust me on this.”

Sighing, Hyde pours the water into the pan, and moves to grab a pair of scissors for the package of curry lying on the countertop. “I believe you. Besides, it’s not like I’m gonna act like a jackass, I mean, he’s putting in the effort to train me and all. It’s just…”

“Nerves. I get it.”

“Yeah.”

A comfortable silence falls over them after. Hyde squeezes the contents of the package into the pan and takes over at the stove, and Linne moves back to lean over the countertop again, whipping out her phone to boot up her game again. As he stirs absently, watching Linne tap at the screen rapidly, Hyde can’t help the smile that turns the corners of his lips upwards.

It hadn’t taken her much time at all to pull him out of his own mind; he can’t even begin to describe how thankful he is to have access to her allotted years’ worth of wisdom. Or just her in general, if he’s being honest with himself.

_You know what, becoming an In-Birth wasn’t all bad, I guess._

She’d laugh at him if he said it out loud, though, so he bites his tongue and keeps his sentimentality to himself as he shuts off the fire on the stovetop.

And then, as if on cue, his phone rings, shattering the peaceful atmosphere that’d settled over the kitchen.

Hyde startles - that’s a _call_ , not a message. Not what he’d been expecting in the slightest.

Apart from a quiet hum, though, Linne doesn’t even acknowledge it.

“One sec,” he mumbles, shuffling over to where his phone is lying on the counter. There’s at least five people it could be besides Seth - his parents doing their routine weekly check on him, classmates asking about homework, or god forbid, maybe even old man Wald destroying a payphone somewhere - but still, Hyde can’t quite control the way his pulse is going a million miles a minute at the moment.

The number is unknown when he turns his phone over to glance at the screen, which doesn’t help at all.

Swiping his finger across the screen, Hyde swallows, and raises the phone up to his face. Well. Now or never, he supposes.

“Hello? It’s Hyde. Who’s thi-“

He doesn’t even get to finish his sentence before a loud, cheery voice cuts him off with a hoot and a holler of, “You don’t even have my number saved? That hurts, little man.”

It takes Hyde a grand total of one whole second to register who exactly, is on the other side of the phone.

And then he immediately starts to ramble into the speaker, his mind thoroughly consumed with thoughts of _oh, shit. Ohhh my god, I’m dead. She’s gonna kick my ass the next time she sees me._

“Holy shit, Yuzu? I am so sorry, I lost like half my contacts when I changed my phone-“

Yuzuriha laughs into the phone, boisterous and easygoing as ever, and Hyde can practically see her dismissively waving her hand even over the phone. “Hey, don’t sweat it. Year 2 and all, I know how it is.”

Hyde internally breathes a sigh of relief, but makes a mental note to check up on her properly soon. She’d never been particularly good at expressing herself without that peppy front.

“Thanks. Still, we should hang out sometime. Catch up and stuff.”

As Yuzuriha - thankfully - agrees, something clicks in Hyde’s head.

“Hey, where’d you get my number, anyway?”

A loud crack echoes over the speaker - Yuzu slapping her own leg.

“Right! I almost forgot; your friend asked to borrow my dojo space this weekend.”

Hyde blinks.

“Huh? Okay, I guess. Why does that concern me?”

“You’re meeting up with him, aren’t you? That’s what he told me, at least.”

_Wait. Hold up._

“My friend?”

“Yeah? Black and white hair, kinda quiet, grumpy little dude-“

“You said he contacted you? How do you even know him?”

“Eh, family business stuff. You know.”

Yuzuriha’s absentminded voice does nothing to curb the incredulity in Hyde’s own. “You’re part of the Night Blade too?”

“Not exactly. It’s complicated, I’ll explain it the next time we meet up or something,” Yuzuriha waves his question off, and her voice turns serious for a second. “When we do, you better tell me how you got involved in all this. And take your training seriously, okay? Don’t go heading out into the Night carelessly, either, it’s dangerous.”

The worry in her voice is palpable even over the phone; _old habits die hard_ , Hyde supposes. “Gotcha, Yuzu. Relax, I won’t do anything you wouldn’t do.”

Yuzuriha chuckles into the phone, the solemn air lifting.

“Boy, you better not.”

Hyde gives it a second. “Did he say what time this weekend? He hasn’t personally told me anything yet, so…”

“I think he may have mentioned it, but I’ll ask again just to be sure,” she answers.

“Thanks, Yuzu.”

The sharp clink of cutlery on plates in the background makes Hyde’s ears perk up, and he turns his head to see Linne at the rice cooker, scooping out their portions. Clearly, she’d gotten tired of waiting; Hyde clicks his tongue, and turns his attention back to the phone.

“Hey, sorry, but I gotta bounce for now. Dinner’s getting cold.”

“Go eat, dude,” Yuzuriha says, and again, Hyde’s mind conjures the image of her waving her hand. “We’ll make plans some other time, yeah?”

“For sure. See you!”

“Seeya. Good luck with training.”

Yuzuriha hangs up, and Hyde stuffs his phone in his pants before heading over to the table, where Linne’s already setting their plates on the table. She offers him a nod and hands him his chopsticks as he shuffles his chair out to sit down.

“That sounded like it went well. This weekend, huh?”

“Sometime then. They’ll let me know soon.”

Linne makes a noise of assent, before digging in to her food, and that’s the end of that conversation. The rest of dinner proceeds smoothly, without any further interruptions, which Hyde is thankful for.

As promised, his phone lights up with a singular line of text while he’s busy with the dishes.

**_Seth [20:15]: Sat. 16:30._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yuzu is a bimbo dudebro both at the same time and u cannot change my mind


	4. concentration

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hyde's first training session with Seth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this was actually the first scene i wrote for this thing and ended up wanting context for it LOL
> 
> this chapter has a bunch of minor lore reinterpretation by me just thrown in, it makes sense to me as a writer but my fingers are crossed that it also makes sense as a reader
> 
> bonus: if u can identify which game mechanic i threw in here thinking itd be cool to write, ur brain is big

Yuzuriha’s dojo is exactly the same as Hyde remembers when he peers around the doorway and steps in that Saturday; ceiling lights way too bright for this late in the evening, a slight draft whistling through the poorly insulated roof, floor slats still loose in the exact same places they’d always been. Hyde finds himself shaking off nostalgia as he peers around the room, one hand shielding his eyes.

Instead of the older girl’s familiar, taller figure, though, he spots a smaller person near one of the benches, almost mechanically doing stretches, and it takes him most of his self-control to not visibly do a double take when he realizes that’s Seth. The only reason he recognises the other boy is his two-toned hair - Seth’s not wearing his usual combat outfit, dressed simply in their school’s gym attire instead.

He looks so different in and out of the Hollow Night, Hyde wonders if this is why he’s never noticed him in school before. Hell, this is probably the first time he’s actually seen Seth’s whole face; though, it’s about as blank and expressionless as he expects.

“Hey.”

Waving a hand to catch Seth’s attention, Hyde crosses the room quickly, moving to put his things down on the bench behind the other boy. He kind of feels bad, now, knowing that Seth’s been waiting for him, but it’s not like he’s saying anything. He doesn’t even look any more or less annoyed than usual.

If it was anyone else, Hyde would at least try to read them, but he really can’t even begin to fathom what goes on in the assassin’s head, and that blank expression doesn’t help matters either. So he figures instead that he probably shouldn’t overthink things too much.

Seth straightens up off the floor, giving Hyde a sideways glance and a nod in lieu of a greeting as he joins him at the bench and opens up one of the bags lying next to Hyde’s.

As the other boy carefully rifles through the contents, it dawns on Hyde again that he’s about to actually get official training, for the first time since he’s become an In-Birth. He knows he’s probably more nervous than he should be; it’s not like he’s going to get an evaluation or an exam or anything, but he can’t help but feel having _Seth_ of all people as an instructor isn’t going to be easy.

_Calm down, idiot._

He shrugs off his school jacket, and folds it into a neat square on the bench, exhaling a quick breath. It’s fine, he’s gonna be fine-

“The Princess- no, Linne, mentioned she’s been putting you through practices for about a month,” Seth starts, looking up at Hyde. “What has she taught you so far?”

_Shit._

Hyde drags a hand through his hair. “Well. About that...”

That slate gray gaze narrows. “Don’t tell me... Nothing?”

“She made me practice swings, I guess,” Hyde offers lamely. “And how to concentrate to use my EXS. I can focus it all in a point to summon the Insulator, but not outside the Hollow Night. Mostly just the basics; I think I got that down now.”

“And you went out into one of the most unstable Nights like that?” Seth’s squinting at him, his usually dispassionate voice holding more than a slight tinge of incredulity. “As unprepared as a child? Do you even know what you were risking?”

Defensive, Hyde fires back, “Hey, I held my own against you just fine.”

That sharp gaze lingers on him for a moment, Seth looking very much like he wants to argue, and Hyde just raises an eyebrow, silently challenging him. He’d forgotten up until now, but the tension in the air right now is a pretty good reminder that just because the other boy agreed to train him, it doesn’t necessarily mean they’re on better terms.

Seth gives him one last hard look, and then finally stops glowering, turning back to his bag instead. From inside, he draws out a long, thin case; Hyde takes a moment to wonder why it looks vaguely familiar to him.

The other boy’s voice dips right back to monotone when he speaks again.

“Your EXS is obscenely powerful.”

Riding off the lingering tension in the air, Hyde’s mouth moves faster than his brain processes Seth’s words.

“Yeah? And you- wait, what did you say?”

Seth gives him a long-suffering stare. “Your EXS, called Void Red, is extremely pure, which makes it strong. It’s enough to let you wield and summon one of the legendary Indulgence weapons despite having just awoken to your abilities; what you lack in skill, you easily make up for in power.”

Hyde’s brain is a little blank.

“Uh... thanks?”

“And from what I gathered from our fight the other day,” Seth continues, sliding the case off of what Hyde now clearly recognises as a practice sword, “you instinctively relinquish control of your body over to the Insulator in combat.”

Hyde frowns, self-consciousness and embarrassment settling in as he crosses his arms. “I can’t help it, okay? Legendary demon sword or whatever, remember? It’s strong as hell; whenever I use it, it feels like I have to fight it for control. It hurts, too. Both my head and my arm feel like they’re on fire the whole time I have the Insulator out, and it only stops hurting when I give in. If I could stop that from happening, I would. Where are you even going with this?”

Carefully laying the case on the bench, Seth rises to his feet and looks Hyde in the eye. His tone is dead serious when he answers.

“I’m setting boundaries, Kido. If I train you to properly control this ridiculous power, you’re going to be one of the biggest threats in Kanzakai.”

_It’s not like I asked for it_ , is on the tip of Hyde’s tongue, but he firmly shuts his mouth and stares at the furthest corner of the room instead, arms still crossed over his chest. “I just want to learn how to use it properly so I can help Linne. And all of us. You’re acting like I’m gonna go on a rampage with it or something.”

That firm gaze stays locked on him.

“I can’t guarantee you won’t. Which is why I’m going to say this now; if you ever misuse your skill or lose control of yourself in the Hollow Night, I swear, on my bloodline, that I will personally shatter your vessel and retrieve the Insulator from your EXS.”

Frustration burns in Hyde’s chest; as much as he wants to say something, _anything_ , in retaliation, he can’t really fault Seth for thinking that of him. Especially since he’s sure the other boy only knows him vaguely from the Night, and Seth really doesn’t seem like the type to trust people he isn’t familiar with. 

“Are we clear?”

_Still. He doesn’t have to be such a jackass about it_ , Hyde thinks, somewhat bitterly, even as he turns to face Seth again.

“Crystal. Can we start now?”

The other boy nods slowly, apparently satisfied with his answer, and offers him the blade with both hands. “You said earlier you’ve been practicing swings? Show me.”

Hyde almost cringes. “Um. I don’t think you need to see it. It’s just like, kendo exercises. Nothing special.”

The practice sword remains outstretched.

“I won’t know where to start you off if I don’t have a frame of reference for your current skill level.” Seth steps back, as Hyde gingerly plucks the sword out of his hands. “Now. Show me how you swing.”

“You’ve literally seen me fight first-hand,” Hyde mumbles, but he grips the blade tight regardless. _Okay, fine. It’s just swing practice. Calm down._

It takes him a moment to adjust his feet to balance his weight properly - this sword’s a little heavier than the one he uses at home, but as soon as his stance is steady he raises it above his head, breathes in sharply and swings it down hard. Wind sings along the surface of the wood as he does it again, and again, and again, three times before he lowers the blade and turns to the other boy.

Seth’s face is completely unreadable. He’s just standing there, arms crossed, squinting in silence; Hyde can only stand that blank stare for so long before his nerves start going straight into overdrive.

_Why’s he so quiet? Did I do something wrong? Shit, I’m doing it wrong, aren’t I. It’s been forever, and Linne didn’t tell me how to do this properly -Oh god, that’s it, huh, I’m never gonna live this down-_

“...Is that it?”

Hyde winces. That stings, even if he’d kind of anticipated Seth was going to say something along those lines.

Trying not to sound as self-conscious as he feels, he starts, “I told you, it’s just standard kendo swings-“

Shaking his head, Seth cuts him off. “No, I see that. Your form is good-“

Hyde’s eyes widen a little.

_Holy shit, really?_

“-but I’ve seen you concentrate energy in the Insulator to directly apply your ability to it. Do you not practice that along with your swings?”

Seth’s tilting his head, looking at him with what seems like genuine curiosity as he waits for his answer. Hyde just squints, thinking, trying his best to process Seth’s combat jargon as fast as he can.

_Concentrate energy in the..._

“Oh! You mean that thing where I shoot stuff from the Insulator?”

Seth pauses.

“...that _is_ another application of the theory. I’m talking about gathering EXS within the blade, and releasing it to empower the swing itself, rather than firing it as a projectile. You did it a lot, the other Night.”

“Oh, that,” Hyde says, a sheepish look crossing his face. “Yeah, I don’t think I’ve done practice for that before. I probably haven’t even done it without the Insulator’s control.”

A thoughtful noise.

“I think it would be beneficial to incorporate that into your basic swing practice; it’ll improve your control over your EXS as well as your physical strength. But you should stop if you feel overexerted, that means you’re using more EXS than your vessel can handle. I can show you how it’s done.” Seth walks forward onto the open mat, and stretches out his hand. “Pass me the blade for a moment.”

Hyde gives it over to him, crosses his arms and leans his weight on one leg, relaxing though his eyes track Seth’s movements steadily. It’s kind of funny, seeing the other boy in regular gym clothes, holding a practice sword. For a moment, Seth looks just like any other kid in one of those kendo classes he used to attend when he was younger, and Hyde absently wonders what the other boy was like when he first started all this combat training stuff. Had he ever been bad at all this? 

“The Insulator is a versatile weapon-“

Seth’s voice cuts through his musings, and Hyde tunes back in to hear him speak.

“-but I’ll demonstrate the most basic practice routine first. First, you’re going to want to steady yourself. Balance your weight the same way you do while practicing swings, and then exert your energy, like this-“

EXS _explodes_ outward in a jagged burst of aura, and though Hyde’s pretty sure Seth’s still talking, he can’t hear what he’s saying at all over the deafening buzz of the other boy’s EXS resonating, flaring up like static. Hyde just blinks, incredulous, watching Seth just stand there, energy radiating off of him wildly as he raises the practice sword.

The spike in raw power is terrifying. It’s too much. Way too much, considering the fact that they’re not even in the Hollow Night right now.

“Then, concentrate it in the blade. It helps to think of it as an extension of the body, rather than a weapon.”

Hyde watches in stunned silence as that pressure in the air ebbs, twists and finally manifests itself in visible dark energy, crackling and gathering along the blade of the bamboo sword in his hands.

It looks and feels somewhat similar to the dark orbs he’s seen Seth throw around in combat before, but Hyde’s sure he’s never seen him do anything like this with it - for one, he didn’t even know Seth could use a conventional blade at all, let alone handle it well enough to do something like this.

In a blur of movement Hyde can barely track, the other boy raises the sword above his head, and swings once, lightning fast. The blade whistles through the air, and a thundering crack echoes through the dojo as the energy infused in the sword is expunged. Darkness follows the arc of his swing, razing through the air in front of him, and Hyde swears it causes the very fabric of space to jitter, distorting the surrounding air like a heat-haze.

He’s speechless.

_This_ is how he’s supposed to be practicing swings?

Seth straightens up, gets his EXS under control again and starts to walk back towards Hyde, all calm like he usually is, like he hasn’t just nearly rent space in half with a piece of wood.

“Did you get that?”

The words come out of Hyde’s mouth before he can stop them.

“You’re incredible.”

At the unexpected compliment, Seth pauses, and peers at Hyde, eyes widening just a little. He opens his mouth like he’s going to say something, thinks more, and then closes it, decidedly at a loss for words. Nobody’s said anything like this to him all his life, especially not in this context.

He’d been expecting irritation, or an indignant acknowledgement, at the very least; Hyde’s genuine words strike an unexpected chord in him, and he frowns. His eyes shift to the floor, his chest tightens.

Much to his chagrin, he realizes he’s actually embarrassed.

Hyde blinks, catches himself. “Ah, sorry, I mean- uh…”

“…I’m not that good. I can’t use this skill properly in actual combat, but as a demonstration, it’s fine…”

Seth trails off, eyes narrowed and looking everywhere but Hyde’s face, and all of a sudden Hyde can’t help but get hit with the realization that Seth’s… actually kind of cute when he’s not glaring like he wants to kill you-

_Okay, wait. Slow down. What?_

“Just. Take it, Kido.”

The hilt is thrust towards his face, and Hyde thankfully takes the way out he’s been given, gripping the blade tight and forcing all remaining thoughts out of his mind. He really doesn’t want to think too much about what his brain’s just said.

Seth folds his arms over his chest once his hands are free, and he regards Hyde with that carefully blank stare once more.

“I hope you caught my explanation, it’s very important for learning how to control your EXS properly.”

“I think I got most of it,” Hyde answers, turning the blade over in his hands idly. He wasn’t expecting anything less, but it’s still kind of terrifying to confirm that it’s exactly the same as any other practice sword - that insane swing had really all just been Seth’s power. “Maybe.”

“Show me.”

“Alright.”

Stepping over to the center of the mat, Hyde adjusts his stance, and readies the blade, gripping it two-handed. He shuts his eyes and concentrates, trying to draw out his EXS as best as he can. It’s not a lot, not enough to summon the Insulator, but enough to make Hyde feel the sensation of static flaring up in his mind, a ripple echoing within his consciousness that makes his head hurt.

It feels the same as when he does it in the Night, but it’s far more bearable there, when the air is thick and threatens to choke, it numbs the dissonance in his mind.

Here, though, it almost hurts, trying to channel EXS he doesn’t have at the moment.

Despite his best efforts, only a small amount of energy gathers in him, spiking and crackling, as unstable as a firecracker, and Hyde winces as he tries to pull it towards the blade the way he usually does. It feels like it’s fighting him the whole way, awkward fuzziness lancing through his nerves all the way up his arms, but he grits his teeth, forces it all into the blade, raises it quickly, and swings down hard.

A sharp crack echoes through the air, energy firing off the blade wildly, but Hyde can barely parse anything besides the high-pitched burst of sound that pierces his ears in that same moment, a noise like shattering glass firing through his head.

He drops the blade almost instantly and staggers back, gripping his head with a wince. _Ow. Shit. Okay, that probably wasn’t supposed to happen._

Seth blinks, unfolds his arms and pads his way onto the mat to give Hyde a quick once-over. He can still sense Hyde’s EXS, so it probably isn’t anything too serious; though it’s weaker, almost muffled all of a sudden, like audio being played through a set of fuzzy speakers.

He figures he should ask.

“Are you okay?”

“I think so, I just…” Hyde grimaces, and tilts his head, tapping the flat of his palm against it like he’s trying to get water out of his ear. The ringing in his ears that had risen to a fever pitch has stopped, but his concentration is undoubtedly shot; he shuts his eyes, tries to focus again, and gets nothing - not even the slightest hint of disturbance in the depths of his mind. His consciousness is an endless sea of quiet, his EXS firmly inaccessible with his thoughts this frayed. “I don’t think I’ll be able to do that sort of thing just yet.”

Eyeing him, brows furrowed, Seth gives a slight nod.

“We’ve got a long way to go.”

—

Seth isn’t half as kind as Hyde’s old kendo instructor was; Hyde spends the bigger part of the evening being put through a crash course of what Seth calls Night Blade training basics, and by the end of it all he feels like he’s been put through the wringer about fifty times over. His arms and legs ache from exertion, his head hurts from constantly trying to channel his EXS - god, he’s so tired, and it’s somehow more exhausting knowing that everything’s absolutely going to hurt more the next day.

As he leans against the wall, sword temporarily abandoned on the floor, chest heaving with the effort of breathing, Seth walks over to where they’d put their things, and breaks out a worn pair of wooden tanto blades.

Hyde shuts his eyes, trying his best not to just slide down the wall onto the floor like he wants to. He knows if he sits down he might never get up again.

“This’ll be the last thing we do for today,” Seth says, padding back over to the mat. He stops a few paces away from Hyde, and settles into a guarding stance. “We’re going to spar. Your goal is to pin me down, disarm me completely, or otherwise render me unable to fight back. With that.”

The other boy nods at the practice blade, and Hyde groans.

“Can I not just use the Insulator?”

He’s half joking, but not really. Exhausted as he is, just the prospect of trying to wear Seth down with a glorified stick is making his legs ache.

In response, Seth gives him a dry look. “Are you even able to summon it right now? I’ll let you use it, if you can.”

_Damn jerk._

“Blow it out your ass,” Hyde grouses.

Reluctantly, he forces himself off the wall and stretches, trying to ignore the way his muscles ache in protest.

“I just have to knock you down, right?”

Seth spins the wooden blades in his hands, securing them in that now-familiar reverse grip, and Hyde resists the urge to roll his eyes. _Show-off._

“If I can still get up or strike you back, it won’t count.”

The older boy pulls a face. “Okay, okay. Got it. You gonna count down, or...”

“Just come at me.”

Sighing, Hyde raises his blade, settling into a loose stance.

“Alright, get ready.”

The second the words leave his lips, a veritable whirlwind of movement blazes past him, and Hyde’s breath immediately catches in his throat. All that exhaustion drains from his body within seconds, replaced quickly with adrenaline, and he jerks his upper body to the side - and not a moment too late as the edge of Seth’s wooden blade whistles clean through the air, fizzling with EXS mere centimetres from his neck.

For a brief moment, their eyes meet over Seth’s outstretched hand and weapon, cold, expressionless gray boring through startled crimson - Hyde swallows, trying to curb the way his stomach twists on instinct.

_It’s just a practice match. That’s all there is to it, calm down_ , Hyde reminds himself, exhaling a sharp breath as he straightens his suddenly sweaty grip on the practice sword. _Relax. Just watch him._

Focus enters Hyde’s gaze, and Seth allows himself the tiniest hint of a satisfied smile. Well, that’s progress. Still off-balance from his initial attack, he spins on his heel, and swings that second dagger down sharply to cover himself.

_If he’s got half a brain left in him, he’ll read this from a mile away._

“No you don’t!”

There we are.

Hyde raises his blade, deflecting Seth’s predictable swipe with a heavy-handed slash of his own, forcing him to back away. He takes a step back himself, breathing quickly now, trying to place his next move as Seth circles him again.

The other boy isn’t quite as fast as he is under the Night; Hyde would attribute it to the fact that he doesn’t have access to all those confusing teleportation moves without as much EXS, but to be honest, he isn’t sure if Seth’s actually unable to use them right now, or whether he’s just going easy on him.

Either way, that gives him a little more wiggle room, and he backs up further to put even more space between them, body pulled taut like a bowstring. He doesn’t want to put himself on the aggressive just yet - he’s sure Seth isn’t done, and he doesn’t want to risk getting caught up in _that_ mess without his defense up.

_I might as well try to control some space, I guess-_

Putting his full weight into the anticipation of it, Hyde tightens his grip, and concentrates, calling upon the EXS lying dormant in his vessel. The buzz in the back of his mind, mercifully quiet this whole time, returns in full, sending ripples echoing across the still surface of his consciousness in a startlingly familiar way. So familiar, in fact, that muscle memory sends Hyde lunging forward the second he feels the slightest hint of energy shooting down the wooden blade, his lips parted around a single word as he flourishes his blade in an arc.

“Orbiter!”

Hyde’s sword sails through thin air, and with a thunderous snap, the EXS within the slim piece of wood goes unstable, fizzles, and goes out with all the force of a hydrogen bomb, knocking him off-balance.

Across the mat, Seth’s eyes flash in recognition, and Hyde retains just enough clarity to think, in that split second before Seth inevitably rushes him-

_Oh, okay. Fuck, I guess._

Scrambling to gather his bearings, Hyde’s mind goes into overdrive considering his options.

_Think, damnit! Think. How do I get out of this?_

Time seems to slow down as the other boy darts towards him, wreathed in darkness, blades out and ready to take him down. Every instinct he has is _screaming_ for him to go on the defensive, to raise his sword and try to fend off what’s bound to be a ruthless barrage of attacks, but there’s a single, persistent feeling deep inside him compelling him to stand his ground - the same feeling, that he’d notice was starting to burn up his left arm, if he had the time to deliberate. But he doesn’t, and so without really thinking, Hyde slams the practice sword against the floor, and wills every last bit of his EXS to function properly, _like he wants it to, for the first time this whole goddamn day-_

His left arm practically lights itself on fire at his command, EXS resonating forth from him as energy explodes up from the floor like a pillar - much smaller than the one he’d called the other night. It’s not really enough to hurt; channeled from the wooden blade like that, it’s more of a lightshow than anything else, but it’s enough to make Seth flinch in the middle of his rapid footwork, and that’s when Hyde lunges for him.

It’s over in an instant.

Hyde pins Seth to the floor and levels the practice sword at his throat, a triumphant grin on his face despite the exhaustion seeping into his bones and the sharp ringing in his ears.

“Gotcha. This counts, right?”

Seth blinks, and re-evaluates the situation. Hyde’s got one hand holding his wrist down, but he’s mostly pinning him with his weight. Technically, he’s still got one hand free, and if this was real he’d probably stab Hyde and wrench himself free, but it isn’t.

That, and Hyde’s _basically_ met his expectations for today. It wouldn’t be fair to make him do more now, as much as he wants to be a petty little shit about Hyde’s “victory”.

Dropping the blades on the mat, Seth raises his other hand in surrender.

“Yes, this counts. Congratulations. We’re done for today.”

Hyde grins, and lets go of Seth’s wrist with a loud whoop.

“Hell yeah! How’d I do? Was that cool? I think it was kind of cool, I didn’t even know I could do that out here, what the hell? I mean, I did know I could do that, just not like-“

As Hyde runs his mouth, Seth pushes himself off the floor, dusts himself off, and reaches down for his blades. He can’t keep the tiny smile off of his face as he listens to Hyde babble on and on for some reason, and that bothers him. By all means, all this should be irritating to him, listening to this amateur hoot and holler over achieving feats almost equally impressive as ironing the creases out of a shirt, but he can’t really find it in himself to tell Hyde off.

It’s nice, he realizes, to see Hyde this happy over things he himself is so familiar with.

Something strange settles in his chest, and he frowns. Sweeps it aside into the pile of thoughts he deems too frivolous to properly sift through as they make their way over to their things.

_Enough of that._

“You did well today,” Seth says, almost conversationally, trying to draw his own attention away from his thoughts. Next to him, Hyde fist-pumps, too busy hydrating to give a verbal answer. Seth digs through his bag for a package of wet tissues and continues, idle musing to fill up the silence left in Hyde’s wake at the moment, “You’re adjusting a lot sooner to combat than I’d originally thought you would.”

A questioning noise. Hyde tilts his head. Seth starts to wipe down his blades.

“This was practice, but even so, I saw you hesitate when I attacked. That’s normal, for people who aren’t used to this sort of thing. You have to willingly get in enough fights to force that caution out of your head.” His brows knit together, and his expression darkens into something more solemn than usual. “I don’t think that’s a good thing. Not for you, at least.”

Hyde finally lowers his bottle, and regards Seth quietly. This is more words than the other boy’s ever spoken to him before, all dropped on him at once, and he isn’t quite sure what to do with this detached, bitter sentiment.

(He’s sure Seth would be annoyed if he said it out loud, but Hyde can’t help but feel sorry for him.)

For his part, Seth seems to realize he’s said too much, and he settles back into a stilted silence as he rewraps his wooden blades and shoves them into his bag. He offers Hyde his open palm, indicates wordlessly towards the long practice blade still lying on the bench, and then glances away.

He clearly isn’t expecting it when Hyde slaps his palm loudly, giving him a high-five instead of dropping the sword into his hands right away; his head snaps to face Hyde instantly, and he scowls at the grin he sees on Hyde’s face as the other boy finally passes him the bamboo stick to wipe down.

Hyde waits until Seth’s about halfway through wiping the sword before he speaks.

“That’s a nice thought and all, but I don’t really think I count as _most people_ anymore. They can’t pull legendary demon swords out their hands, can they?” He doesn’t get a response, but he continues anyway. “I’m gonna be fine. Especially now that I’ve got you showing me the ropes and all.”

Then, wringing his hands, Hyde folds his arms and pointedly looks into the distance, contemplating his next few words for a bit longer than he probably should. His eyes are firmly fixed on the farthest corner of the dojo when he adds, “I think we should hang out sometime, though. None of this Night Blade stuff, just. Hanging out, y’know? Like friends. I think that’d be nice.”

Seth doesn’t say anything, but Hyde catches the way his shoulders relax, the slight, curious incline of his head, and that’s when he knows he’s in the clear.

He grins.

“ _I’ll_ let you know the time for it, how about that. Shoot you a message, or something.”

“…Okay. I’m usually free after school unless I get put on cleaning duty.”

_…Damn, that took a lot less persuading than I thought it would._

“Hell yeah.”

The rest of their wind down goes by in relative, comfortable silence afterwards, and when they step outside after locking up and giving Yuzu’s mats a thorough wipe-down, Hyde finds that he can barely feel the chill of the night air, far too focused on the sudden warmth in his chest.

_Okay. My turn now._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hyde: *does iw in neutral* im nice im nice im so fuckin nice
> 
> might be a bit until the next chapter, i havent written or planned anything for it yet and i pretty much quit playing unist a while back, i still do want to finish this fic though so i'll try my best!


End file.
